plant the crops they need to survive. >> pelley: and it's show time for america's top dogs. >> it dsn't get any better. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: late today, the president weighed in on the political phenomenon that is donald trump. president obama was answering a question at a news conference today, and he did not mince words. >> i continue to believe mr. trump will not be president. and the reason is because i have a lot of faith in the american people, and i think they recognize that being president is a serious job. it's not hosting a talk show or a reality show. it's not promotion. it's not marketing. it's hard. >> pelley: well, republicans

nicki haley, the governor of south carolina, said she will not endorse trump before the primary there on saturday. in fact, haley said trump is everything a governor does not want in a president. mar garrett is withth thehe trump campaign in south carolina. major. >> reporter: scott, we asked the campaign for reaction to president obama's comments, and donald trump told me directly the following: >> i've never seen a human being lie so much. he lies about everything. >> reporter: it t s another "pants on fire" day in south carolina, as both trump and marco rubio accused ted cruz of being dishonest. >> i hate to say it about a person, but actually, during the debate, rubibio called him a liar, so i felt a lot better. >> he spent the last two weeks literally making stuff up. >> both donald trump and marco rubio have this very strange pattern if you poioi to their

the words that come out of their mouth, they don't respond on substance. they just scream, "liar, liar, liar." >> reporter: in a lengthy facebook post he condescribes himself as prolife and against balmcare. rubio told us cruz distorts on many fronts. >> did not tell the trught about ben carson in iowa, does not tell my truth about planned parenthood. >> reporter: trump has also questioned ted cruz's mental health. >> cruz is depseral rat. i think ted is a very unstable guy. >> reporter: the texas senator called for increasing the size of the u.s. military in a speech aboard the uss "yorktown." he asked about trump's unstable charge. >> major, the reason donald insults is because he can't defend the substance. he can't dispute substance bebeuse it's h h own words.

media is abuzz over this tweet from governor jeb bush, showing a firearm with his name on it. there were some people who were supportive, but membership said, "your campaign is dying. please, governor bush, don't take your own life" only in jest, but it shows you how painful things have become for bush in south carolina. >> pelley: never seen a primary like this. major, thank you v vy much. the latest cbs news poll shows trump is leading his closest rival in south carolina, ted cruz, by better than two to one. on the democratic side, hillary clinton leads bernie sanders by 19 points, as both of them court african americans. here's nancy cordes. >> and we pray for@bernie sanders. >> reporter: as one candidate met with black ministers in columbia, south carolina, the other sat down with civil rights leaders in harlem, both of them trying to send the same message. >> my campaign is really about brbrking every bararer. >> reporter: today, clinton proposed a $2 billion plan to

policies that she says are faing black students. >> and we wjll dramatically expand support for guidance counselors, school psychologists, and social workers. >> reporter: sanders focused on black incarceration rates. >> tell me why in the richest cocotry in the history of the world, why we should have more people in jail than any other country on earth. anyone tell me why? ( applause ) >> reporter: clinton is leading among south carolina african americans by nearly 40 poingts. she sought to cement that advantage today by implying sanders is new to thehe fight for racial equality. >> you can't just show up at election time and say the right things and think that's enough. we can't start building relationships a few weeks before a vote. ( applause ) >> reporter: he argued the civil right movement inspired his fight against wall street greed.

people didn't back down. people kept going forward. that, my friends, is courage. >> reporter: both candidates bring up race more frequently than then-senator barack obama did back in 2008. perhaps, scott, because he was all too aware back then of the biases that clinton and sanders are highlighting now. >> pelley: nancy cordes for us tonight. nancy, thank you. at the supreme court today, the chair filled by justice antonin scalia for nearly 30 years was draped in his honor. scalia died apparently in his sleep over the weekend at the age of 79. senate republicans want to delay replacing scalia for nearly a year so the next president can make the choice. but today, mr. obama said he plans to follow the constitution. >> historically, this has not been viewed as a question.

says that it can only be done on off years. that's not in the constitutional text. i'm amused w wn i hear people who claim to be strict interpreters of the constitution suddenly reading into it a whole series of provisions that are not there. there is more than enough time for the senate to consider, in a thghtful way, the record of a nominee they present anand to make a decision. >> pelley: the president this afternoon. now to the weather. severe storms pummeled the east coast today. snow and flooding rains were in the northth the south woke up to thunder, lightning, and twisters. david begnaud is there. >> reporter: at least four tornadoes barreled through south florida in theheiddle of rush hour this morning. 86 to 110-mile-per-hour winds

wheeler on florida's busy i-95 in miami tossing the big rigots side. david matienzo was on his way to work. >> it was basically like the "twister" movie. that's basically, the best way i can describe it. all of a sudden, somethingng like a metal sign, hit the front of my car and shattered the window. >> reporter: these strong gusts tore roofs off buildings. a power line snapped, starting a fire i i this residential area of miami. this same storm system also spawned an ef-3 tornado late yesterday in sentry, florida, onon the alabama border. the over 135-mile-per-hour winds flattened cars and destroyed homes. southern mississippi was also hit. copiah county this h he was demolished. malcolm erwin lives nearby. >> it sounded like a low-flying jet. it really did. >> reporter: here in miami, those 100-mile-per-hour winds tossed this tree like a toy. look at the base. i'm 6'1", and it's nearly enough

scott, tornadoes here are not rare, but forecasters say because of el nino, south florida could get more tornadoes just like they did today well into theheonth of march. >> pelley: david begnaud, thanks. these wild weather swings that we've seen are caused, as david said, in part by the phenomenon known as el nino. that's the warming of the pacific that leads to drought in much of africa and storms and high temperatures on america's west coast. we have two reports on this tonight, beginning with ben tracy in southern california. >> reporter: this is winter on the west coast, with temperatures running 15-25 degrees above normal, it explooks feels more like july than february. >> it is so hot outside. it's crazy. we're just kind of embracing it and going with it. >> reporter: californians were expecting this-- nonstop rainstorms fueled pie one of the largest el ninos on record. but after heavy rains last

a hot and dry streak. it's been 15 days since a drop of rain fell in los angeles. nasa climatologist bill patzert famously called this massive band of warm water in the pacific ocean a godzilla el nino, predicted to drench drought-ravaged california. is this godzilla me bark than bite? >> el nino remains immense. it's had a powerful impact over the last six months. and even this winter, all the volatile weather we've had across thenited states, the fingerprint of el nino is on all these events. >> reporter: turns out, the el nino is so big, it shifted the jet stream further north, allowing storms to batter northern california and the pacific northwest. rain-soaked cliffs near san francisco have been dropping into the ocean. but these northern storms are also dramatically booing california's snow pack, now the deepest it's'sbeen in more than a decade.

the state's depleted reservoirs and provide 30% of california's water supply. the temperature hit 90 degrees re today in los angeles, and that is a new record for this date, but forecasters say they still expect those el nino rains and cooler temperatures to hit los angeles and, scott, they say that will happen in the next couple of weeks. >> pelley: ben tracy for us tonight. ben, thank you. well, there has been precious little water in southern and eastern africa where el nino is scorching the earth. the u.n. says as many as a million children are at risk of starvation. many are in the tiny tion of lesotho, and we st debora patta there. >> reporter: dawn breaks over ha khabele. villagers hope for rain, but it promises to be another scorching day. -year-old malepota makara wakes her five grandchildren, most of them orphaned by aids.

three eldest ready for school. that's because there i i nothing to eat. like everyone else in the village, makara's crops have failed. it is painful, says nine-year-old to go to school without food. "this drought," his grandmother explains "is more severe than i have ever seen." makara knows instinctively what experts have confirmed-- this is the strongest el nino on record in southern africa, delaying the rains and putting 14 million people at risk of starvation. a pitiful burst of rain in greenery. it's a cruel illusion, as it's come too late. this should be lo's rainy season. normally i wouldn't be able to stand here because i'd be waist high in water. instead this river bed is pone

u.n. humanitarian coordinator yolanda dasgupta is worried at what's ahead. >> the rainfall has been delayed to an extent that people haven't been able to plant the crops that they need to survive. so we're looking at people having not enough to eat, at least until 2017. >> reporter: at school, makara's grandchildren get their one meal of t y-- a bowl of watery porridgege and some corn. but as the country's grain supplies run out, schools are worried they will have to stop their feeding schemes. water is a concern, too. lesotho's government delivers water to the silages but it's not enough. a nearb dam has a two-week dry. at home, makara manages to manages to scrounge for a few unripened peaches for the younger children, and later when the brothers and sisters return, s s

there is no supper once again. "if i can just give them food and love," she sighs, "then they will be finin" lesotho desperately needs at least $27 million to feed people on the brink of starvation, but they are battling to attract the attention of international donors, scott, who are already over-stretched doing with other global crises. >> pelley: remarkable reporting from debora patta tonight, who is back in johannesburg. debora, thank you. in just a moment, what you need ton to prevent deadly accidents at rail crossings. and private letters reveal a close relationship betwewe a

the cbs evening news continues. you had liberty mutual new car replacement, you'd get your whole car back. i guess they don't want you driving around on three wheels. smart. with liberty mutual new car replacement, we'll replace the full value of your car. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. >> pelley: today, pope francis went to the heart of mexico's drug war and challenged priests fight injustice, violence,

this comes at the same time of a fascinating revelation about pope john paul ii. privatat letter rez veal a close friendship with a woman that lasting for decades. mark phillips has the story. >> reporter: was then a young polish cardinal. she was a polish american writer and married. yet, when karol wojtyla, the man who would become pope john paul ii, began to collaborate with anna teresa tymieniecka on a translation, something more than a book happened. they wrote to each other for the rest of their lives, his letters recreated in a bbc documentary. their relationship would test the cardinal's vow of celibacy. particularly, he says, the words, "i belong to you." malina malinovsky brokered the

polish national archive.e. >> i do believe she completely fell in love with him during the first phase of their relationship. >> reporter: they didn't just write. they spent private times together at her property in vermont, skiing inin poland. in the old communist days when she was in krakov, she had her letters hand delivered to him so party officials couldn't use the whf of scandal to undermine this popular priest. even when he became pope,he didn't stop. >> "i am thinking about you. and in my thoughts i come to pomfret-- her rouse in vermont-- every day." when he died, friends say, but the vatican won't confirm, she was at his bedside. the pope' lettersre now public.

letters to him have not been published. what a story they might tell.ng >> pelley: and we'll be right back. lawyer so i asked about adding once-daily namenda xr to her current treatment fomoderate to severe alzheimer's. it works differently. when added to another alzheimer's treatment, it may improve overall function and cognition. and may slow the worsening of symptoms for a while. (announcer) namenda xr doesn't change how the disease progresses. it shouldn't be taken by anyone allergic to memantine, or who's had a bad reaction to namenda xr or its ingredients. before starting treatment, tell their doctor if they have, or ever had a seizure disorder, difficulty passingngrine, liver, kidndn, or bladder problems, and about medications they're taking. certain medications, changes in diet, or medical conditions may affect the amount of namenda xr in the body and may increase side effects. the most common side effects are headache, diarrhea, and dizziness. all my life, he's protected me. ask their doctor about once-daily namenda xr

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america's number one tempur-pedic retailer today. >> pelley: the federal railroad administration is imploring states to inspect stop lights at rail crossings. many of them are not timed properly. kris van cleave is looking into this. >> reporter: federal regulators say this shouldn't happen. a traffic light did not turn green long enough to give this semi truck enough time to get off the tracks before the train approached. the driver survived, but many don't. since 2013, 96 have died, another 419 were hurt at intersections where the stop lights arelights are interconnected with the railroad equipment. sarah feinberg is the federal railroad administrator but if the technology is there, why does it keep happening? >> if the traffic signal is working the way that ithould, if it's connecteded the right way to the railroad crossing equipment, we should be able to keep people off the track when a train is coming. >> reporter: tonight, the

is issuing a safety advisory, asking states t t inspectct the traffic gnals at roughly 5,000 interconnected railroad crossings nationwide. >> it's really important to monitor these lights to make re that the signals are not losing a second over time, to make sure that traffic's movinin through. >> whenever drivers are approaching railroad tracks, they just have to assume that a train is coming. >> reporter: dr. lanny wilson's 14-year-old daughter, lauren, died when the car she was riding in was struck by a train. >> it seemed like she had the world on a string, sitting on a rainbow, and we were there with her until that crash. and then since then, we've done a lot tory to prevent thiss tragedy from happening to other families. >> reporter: regulators are also asking that event recorders be installed in these traffic signals to help determine drm if the signals are factoring into accidents. regulators are working with companies like google to share doolt so one day drivers will be

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>> pelley: tonight is the grand finale of the westminster dog show, a super bowl without the tailgating, just the tail. here's don dahler. >> reporter: rumor has it-- >> there you go! >> reporter: the german shepard named rumor is favored win best in show tonight. the four-year-old female from wiwionsin wowed the crowd honors. her owner, kent boyles. what's the difference, if you can put it into words, between a true champion dog and just a really well-trained dog?

breed standard. she's aesthetically really attitude. she loves the sw. >> reporter: and most of the 3,000 dogs do seem to enjoy the attention, the primping, and the cheering crowds. judge michael faulkner has been involved with show dogs since he was nine years old. hearing the cheering, what ist about dogs that makes this event so big? >> that bond between dog and man is so important, and then you add competition and applause a a glamour and, you know, it doesn't get any better. >> reporter: the seven new breeds in this year's competition raise the number to 197, and include some faces and hairstyles many fans have never seen b bore. it took jackie walker over 10 years to get french herding dogs show. what kind of process does it take to get a breed accepted? >> it's been a very long one. there are many different steps that you have to go through,

>> reporter: alto reach the ultimate test-- performing in the center ripping at westminster. but in the midst of the pomp and pageantry, what is sometimes lost is why we love these animals so much. dogs just bei dogs. don dahler, cbs news, new york. >> pelley: and that's the cbs evening news for tonight. for all of us at cbs news all around the world, good right now on cbs 2 news, suprememcourt fight. fight."the constitution is pretty clear about right now on cbs 2 news, the constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen. >> new developments on what president. obama wants to do. >> i tnk we should be until the next election. >> and how a nomination would be handled with his powerful role on the senate. at the university of iowa.what happened this time that has campus on alert.

following breaking news this evening. evening.the vinton police department says they're charging five people in connection to the shooting death of 14-year-old emma redlinger, nearly one year ago. they arresteteanother person on un-related charges. investigators say the actual shooting was unintentional, however, the six face a variety of other state and federal charges.the six weather there is a variety of other state and federal charges including a charge of providing a firearm, and drug charges. three 317-year-olds are also charged. the chairman of a powerful senate judiciary c cmittee which will oversee confirmation

out committee hearings on whoever president. obama selects to replace the justice he is willing to take a look at the process one step at a time but as opposed to the president making a judicial appointment. >> i think it should wait until the next election and i believe that is the right thing to do because it is a very important position and would be kind of in line with what the democratic leaders said on the tail end of the bush administration. bush should not appoint someone , they had to be concerned about balance and i'm concerned about balance the same way they are>> the president aaked questions on the issue. >> when there is a vacancy, the e